Genesis 11 Chronology: Conclusions

If Egyptology and Biblical data were mutually exclusive, then I would have to side with Biblical historical accuracy. There is enough fluidity in both scientific dating and Egyptology that I have no worries about upsetting Biblical Historicity.

One will find as many interpretations and opinions about Egyptology as there are about the Biblical timeframe. If, for the sake of argument, both sources are mutually exclusive, why would historians side with Egyptology over Biblical documentation when the Bible has been proven historically accurate in hundreds of other ways? That would come down to theology, not Historical accuracy. If I had to make the choice, I would choose the documentation that is supported by both historical veracity and theological accountability. The Bible has proven itself more credible than any other source of ancient history. Because of that, my faith holds to the veracity of scripture over archeology.

Having said that, I do not believe that ancient historical data and Biblical data are mutually exclusive. I do not believe we have to pick one over the other in this issue. I believe one could interpret Egyptology data to match the Biblical records, and I also believe the opposite is true. The most reasonable approach allows for a little of both. The time and research put into the study of ancient history cannot be overlooked. But we must caution taking any human endever as flawless. In the absence of solid proof, we must choose neutral ground. While we wait for ancient dating methods to be more secure, and while we examine the best ways to understand scripture, we should not feel compelled to exclude either side. As evidence becomes clear we can make additional reasonable arguments.

It is my personal opinion that we should read the text of Genesis 11 under a new light. Rather than adding up the numbers we have textual indication that the author had a different intention. On the other hand, rather than ignoring the names or numbers in Genesis 11, we should allow for fluidity of ancient dating methods rather than outright denying the Genesis data. In the search for truth we must not defend an interpretation as higher value than the source itself. Truth will never contradict truth. Scripture as truth is perfectly compatible with the truth we find in nature and in history.